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' T. L. RIVERS.

GAR GOUPLING. N0. 339,475. PatentedApr. 6, 1886.

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JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 339,47 5, dated April 6, 1886.

Application filed February 13, 1886. Serial No. 191,853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Thomas Lnnenon Riv- ERS, a citizens of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings; and it has for its object the provision of means whereby the coupling is automatically effected; to provide means whereby the pin is always attached to the draw-head when the car is not in use and switched onto a side track, whereby the pin is prevented from becoming misplaced, lost, or stolen, and is always at hand, and to provide an improved device of the class named which shall be very simple, strong, and durable in construction, very cheap and inexpensive of manufacture, and thoroughly reliable and effective in opera-- tion.

To the accomplishment of the above objects theinvention consistsin the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts,substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a draw-head and c0up ling embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a central vertlcal longitudinal sectional view through the draw-head and coupling devices. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the coupling-pin, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detached detail views in perspective of parts of my improvement.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates a drawhead, which is of the ordinary well-known class, and provided with the chamber a, the pin openings or holes a, and with an inclined abutment or wall, a, that extends from the upper outer edge of the mouth of the chamber to a point just in front of the openings c, which serves to guide the link properly into the chamber a and protect the pivots of a movable wing, B, that is normally arranged in the path of movement of an approaching link, 0. This wing or plate B is made curved or concave on its front surface, as at b, to provide the ledges b,

the lower ends of which rest on the bottom of (No model.)

the draw-head chamber, to prevent further forward movement of the wing when the device is uncoupled. The upper edges of this wing 13 are curved transversely at b and are provided with extended ears or lugs b which are provided with transverse openings,through which pass the ends of pivots c, that are suitably held or secured in the side walls of the draw-head.

D designates a couplingpin, which is of the ordinary well known form, and this pin is provided with a longitudinal groove or recess, 11, which extends from the ledge or shoulder at thereon to a point near its lower end. The lower end of this groove or recess is provided with a lateral groove, (1?, which opens into a vertical shorter groove, d arranged parallel with and at a short distance from the groove d.

E designates a guide-block, which is seated in a socket, e, in the upper wall of the drawhead. This guide-block is made tapering in form, and the socket is made of similar shape, with its reduced end opening into the pin-hole a in the upper wall of the draw-head. The guide'block is removably seated in the socket, and rigidly held therein by means of a screw, bolt, or other suitable device, e, and the reduced end of the guide-block has a forwardlyprojecting tongue, f, that is reduced in thickness to provide the lateral shoulders f which are arranged in rear of the plane of the front face of the tongue. This tongue fits in the groove 61 in the pin, when the device is set for coupling, to guide the same in movements, and the lateral shoulders f bear against the outer face of the pin to prevent lateral play.

When the device is set for coupling, the pin D is adjusted so that the tongueof the guideblock enters the groove (1 of the pin, and the lower end thereof rests on the upper curved edge, if, of the movable wing 13, which is arranged transversely across the draw head chamber and in substantially a vertical position. "When the link of an approaching car strikes the wing, it forces the latter back into the chamber and causes it to oscillate on its pivots, whereby the upper edge, that supports the coupling-pin, is turned to a vertical position, which will cause the pin to drop or fall by gravity and enter the opening in the link and the hole a. in the lower wall of the drawhead, thus effectively and automatically coupling the cars.

The tongue of the guide-block enters the groove (1, 'to prevent the pin from being withdrawn or disengaged from the draw-head until the guideblock is also removed therefrom, which can be readily done by removing the screw 6; and when the device is not in use the pin is drawn upwardly until the tongue of the guide-block strikes the lower wall of the groove d, the pin turned or' rotated in the proper direction to cause the tongue to travel in the lateral groove (Z and enter the shorter vertical groove (1, after which the pin is dropped to allow the tongue to come in contact with the upper wall or abutment of the groove d, and thus support the pin in an elevated position, and securely connect the same to the drawhead against accidental. detachment.

The improvements are very simple, strong and durable in construction, cheap and inexpensive of manufacture, and can be readily applied to a draw-head of the common form at a trifling expense to adapt the same for automatie coupling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car coupling, a draw-head having an inclined abutment, a", in combination with a gravitating wing provided with the perforated lugs b pivotally supported in rear of and protected by the abutment, said wing having a curved seat, If, on its upper edge between the lugs b and the curved outer face, b, between the ribs 1), at the lower edge thereof, and a coupling-pin resting on the curved seat 12*, substantially as described.

2. Ina car-coupling, a draw-head having a socket, in combination with a grooved coup ling-pin, and a removable block seated in the socket flush with the draw-head, and having a tongue fitting in the groove of the pin, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, a draw-head, in combination with a pin having the longitudinal connected grooves, and a tongue fitted in one of the grooves, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having a tapering socket, in combination with a pin having longitudinal grooves d d and a lateral groove, d a tapering block, E, detachably secured in the socket and having a tongue, f, and the lateral shoulders f, and a screw or bolt for holding the block in place, substantially as described.

5. A coupling-pin having the longitudinal grooves and a transverse groove connecting the longitudinal grooves, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS LANGDON RIVERS.

Vitnesses:

ELISHA W. GoBLE, DAVID SPIN. 

